Going Off Script: Alumna Finds Success in Unexpected Path

Every morning, Kathleen Parra wakes up and sees the bookcase in her bedroom that her mom, Alicia, helped arrange.

Parra could have organized the bookcase herself, but Alicia wanted to ensure that the shiny gold statue she lovingly refers to as her “grandchild” had a prominent place, one that Parra would see at the start of each day.

That “grandchild” isn’t just validation for all the long hours, weekends and holidays that Parra has worked over the past four years. It’s validation of the emphasis that Alicia has put on education throughout her three daughters’ lives.

It sits on a middle shelf, flanked by the microphone flag logos of the TV stations where Parra works, and it represents one of the TV industry’s highest honors – an Emmy Award.

“My mom did that so I wouldn't forget everything that I've accomplished,” Parra said. “And on days when I feel overwhelmed, when I feel tired, it's there to help motivate me.”

Not that Parra needs much help staying motivated. Since graduating from Cal State San Marcos in 2021, she has built a thriving TV news career while simultaneously teaching media students at MiraCosta College and working toward a master’s degree, which she earned from Cal State Northridge in May.

Parra never imagined this path when she enrolled at CSUSM. Her first semester proved difficult as she helped care for her younger sisters, Angelina and Evelyn, while Alicia battled cancer and her father, Rigoberto, worked long hours as a school custodian. But like many first-generation students at CSUSM, Parra found guidance through TRIO Student Support Services, which helps students from low-income backgrounds as they navigate college.

Beyond the challenges of her mom’s illness, Parra initially struggled to find her place academically. She changed her major multiple times before finding a home in the School of Arts. She majored in art, media and design, and gained hands-on experience at CSUSM’s student newspaper, the Cougar Chronicle. Parra envisioned a career in graphic design or marketing, but the pandemic led to a fortuitous change of plans.

Facing a challenging job market when she graduated, Parra enrolled in three certificate courses at MiraCosta College, including two that built upon the video editing skills she learned at CSUSM. In her final month of the program, Leigh Cotnoir, one of Parra’s professors at MiraCosta, approached her with an opportunity. News station Fox 5 San Diego was looking for a studio technician, someone who could handle editing video for news segments. Cotnoir thought Parra would be a perfect fit, and it didn’t take long for Parra to prove her right.

“I just went in there and gave it my best,” Parra said. “Every time that I would see something challenging, I would jump right into it and teach myself or sit down with people and ask them.”

Parra’s colleagues at Fox 5 San Diego took notice. When a newscast director position opened six months into Parra’s tenure, her manager approached her and asked why she hadn’t applied. Parra initially figured she didn’t have enough experience. But with her manager’s encouragement, she threw her name into the mix and landed the job.

Months later, Parra’s manager said they knew she was the right person for the role as soon as she completed her interview. Less than a year later, she received her first Emmy for work in the “Director Live or Recorded Live” category.

“I was so proud of her,” said Angelina, who is majoring in biological sciences at CSUSM. “It was so nice that they acknowledged all the hard work that she put in.

“I just really admire what she did, and I hope that it inspires other people. No matter where you come from, you can still achieve great things.”

Parra directs up to 11 newscasts each week. She has earned the trust of the news producers, who count on her to thrive under pressure and make last-second adjustments when necessary.

“It's all a team effort,” Parra said. “And if it wasn't a good environment, then it would be difficult to pursue creative shots and to do different things. But because we work so well together, it works out perfectly. They feel comfortable with me, and I feel comfortable with them. It's incredible to think that, just a couple of years ago, I didn't even picture myself doing this.”

Although Parra had no inkling of a TV news career when she was at CSUSM, she says the lessons she learned during her time at the university have made a difference, from hard skills like video editing to soft skills like organization. She even values the time she spent in Zoom classes during the pandemic, crediting the experience with helping to prepare her for an online master’s program.

Today, Parra shares those lessons with her students at MiraCosta. She credits CSUSM professors Tony Allard and the late David Avalos with teaching her Adobe Premiere Pro when she was an undergraduate, and now she’s introducing it to her students, noting that she still uses many of the same techniques she learned from her faculty mentors.

But Parra is teaching more than technical skills. She is also showing students how, like her, they can find unexpected career paths.

As she was wrapping up her first class at MiraCosta last fall, she brought in her Emmy to show her students. Then she surprised them by awarding each student a miniature replica Emmy.

“I was so proud of all their achievements and how much they grew,” Parra said. “I was encouraging them and telling them, ‘I believe in you. And because I know that you will achieve big things and I want you guys to keep growing, I would like to be the first person to award you with your own Emmy.’ ”

Parra kept one of the mini Emmys as a keepsake, placing it on the bookcase in her bedroom alongside the one that she received for her work.

Every day when she wakes up, both Emmys are front and center, reminding her of how far she has come and how much farther she can go.

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314